COMIC LEGEND:

Gambit was going to be part of New Avengers or Astonishing X-Men circa House of M.

STATUS:

I’m Going With False

Featured prominently on the cover to House of M #1 is Gambit. I’ve heard that this is because he was going to be joining either Whedon’s Astonishing or Bendis’ New Avengers. Was there ever such a plan, or was it merely artistic license?

Sure enough, Gambit WAS featured on both versions of the cover for House of M #1…

However, Bendis’ script does not suggest that anything changed…

Instead, what it looks like is that Gambit was prominently featured in the altered reality in House of M #2, and it seems like Bendis specifically brought in three old Avengers (who also made the cover of House of M #1), Ms. Marvel, Falcon and Wonder Man…

specifically so that they could then be contrasted against their altered reality situations in House of M #2…

I have found no notice any where from Bendis or Whedon suggesting that Gambit was ever going to be part of either team.

In addition, Peter Milligan was literally RIGHT in the middle of a Rogue/Gambit storyline in the pages of X-Men at the time…

Milligan’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” storyline literally began the very same month that House of M #1 came out.

So no, I do not believe that Gambit was ever going to join either the cast of New Avengers or Astonishing X-Men. I think he was on the cover solely because he appeared in House of M #2 early on and Ribic saw him as an option to use and so Ribic used him.